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Tuesday, October 22, 2013

So, yesterday was my appointment for the nuclear stress test at 7AM. We were there before anybody else, can you imagine? Not even the tech. was there yet, and the registration desk was not even opened yet. The instruction was that we have to be there before or on time for the registration (6:45AM).

Glad to know that we didn't had to register. I just wrote my name on the log sheet, and I was the first on the list :).

But amazing....the tech suddenly appeared at exactly 7AM and called my name. lol! Of course, I started to feel jittery. The pill I took wasn't quite at its full effect yet I guess. But anyway, here's what happened.

I was taken to a a room and the tech started telling me that he will insert a needle on my vein. (an I.V.) (I hate needles being put on me !) ...and that this will be for the injection of a radioactive isotope that would let the nuclear/gamma camera capture my heart's muscle images.

The tech was surely an expert in his job...I felt almost no pain when he inserted the needle on my vein, but then, I quickly asked him if there are any side effects of the isotope once injected...and he said nothing since it is a radiocative dye at the lowest dose a human can handle...hehehehe! That was comforting to know, after all.

After the isotope was injected, he told me to go back to the waiting room and told me to drink 2 cups of water, then he will be back in 45 minutes. That was nice...I got to unwind a bit. I still felt a little nervous.

Time came, and I was asked to go to the room where the nuclear camera was. I lied on the table and a flat metal surface was just going back and forth above me. I was curious to see what's happening and suddenly, I thought what happens next?...so my heart started to beat faster. The tech didn't tell me anything to relax or something because the images to be captured should be my normal heart beat at rest...and it was beating faster! hahahaha!

After that, I went to the treadmill adjacent to the room where the nuclear camera was. I was told to sit first and he attached some electrodes on my body. This time, it was now connected to a heart rate monitor. I saw my heart rate was really fast! The tech also attached a BP monitor on my right hand, took my BP and it was 146/100. Oh-uh!

Then, a cardiologist came to monitor for the stress test on the treadmill. She asked some more questions, after which I was told to walk on the treadmill...first at a slow pace, then becoming faster. A second dose of isotope was injected on my vein. Then the treadmill went on faster. Oh gosh! the fastest one was that I was running already! I thought it was just a walk. But I had to do that for 20 seconds. (I did it well.) Then that ended the test. I was on the treadmill for 8 minutes.

I was told to sit back on the chair after that. The doctor asked if I feel any chest pains, I said no. My last BP was 150/100..it was still high. Ugh!

After 10 minutes or so, the tech told me to go back to the waiting room and have something to eat. Luckily I had some crackers so I had that, then after 15 minutes, I went back to the camera room, and another patches of electrodes were attached to my body. I lied down on the table and another set of images of my heart were taken for 15 minutes. This time I was feeling more relaxed.

That was it. The tech said..."it's as simple as that, right? so, now at least you know next time." I told him I don't want to come here doing it again. We chuckled! :)

No results was given to me. I had an appointment for my heart doctor another month from now. So, I think I will get more complete and official answers from him by that time. Thank God, I am not feeling any unusual pains this time. Still keep praying that all my results are normal.